THERE was plenty of activity on the Fermanagh border last week when the police services from North and South joined forces for a ‘day of action’.
The pre-planned Joint Agency Task Force Day of Action by the PSNI and An Garda Síochána took place across the Fermanagh, Tyrone, Armagh and Down recently. It also involved other agencies such as HMRC.
The PSNI said the coordinated operation was aimed at “targeting those who would seek to exploit the border region for criminality.”
A total of 44 vehicle checkpoints were set up along the border throughout the day, with 16 fixed penalty notices (FPN) for a range of motoring offences.
There were also three arrests made regarding motoring offences, three vehicles were seized, and five drivers detected without insurance.
Meanwhile, three vehicles and seven people were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act, with four arrests for drugs offences. This included one man who was arrested on suspicion of important Class A and B drugs.
Police also were also able to find and arrest a man sought in connection with violent offences in Tyrone.
The northern side of the operation was let by Supt Robert McGowan, who said, “Synchronised policing operations such as this aim to deter and detect crime in border areas and disrupt the movement of criminals between jurisdictions.”
He added, “Crime and organised criminals do not respect national boundaries and our policing response must continue to be dynamic and relentless.
“Thursday’s action demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies in both Northern Ireland and the Republic to working together to tackle cross-border criminality and provide a visible, accessible and responsive service for our border communities.
“This close cooperation ensures enhanced law enforcement provision and intelligence-sharing in the midst of ever evolving threats and challenges against the backdrop of rapidly changing societal and criminal landscape.
“We continue to build on this coordinated approach. By working side by side we can do more to tackle criminal networks who seek to exploit the border region, and deliver on our mission of keeping people safe.”
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